Electric-light socket



Feb. 10,- 1931. J. L. WHATLEY ELECTRIC LIGHT SOCKET Filed June 21, 1929 I mvrzu'ron ATIORNEY W W. M

WITNESS:

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 man} aosnrn L. WHAT'LEY, or noivrnsrnan, rnmIsYLvAmA nnnorzarc nren'r sooxn'r n ucauonmeaaune 21', Mypresentinvention has reference to a novelfconstruction of sockets for-. electric lamp bulbs, theprimary objectbemg lihG'PlO-r: vision of asocket'which has an outer one;

' "I piece shell of poreelaim' glass or of Em-insane mg composition which may be highly orna-' mented, colored or painted to correspond with the p'aperingbr' trimming of the room, which will support thereon a shade fo'r'the 1b lamp bulb'and which perfectly-insulates the socket proper from circuit 2 and mechanical deficiencles ordifficulti'es; 1

A further object is the 'provlsion of a key socket in which porcelain sections towhich the key switch, the'lwires, the central lamp bulb contact a nd the metal screw base are enclosed and supportedinan outer shell of in-,

, sulgfting material in a simple,'but novel and thoroughly effective manner.

iA stillfurther'; b-"ect'is the provision of a device for this. purpose in whichflthe interiorly threaded shank of an .operatingkey is screwed intothe shaft for the contact switch, and wherein the saidswitch is held from turning except in one direction, suchturn ing of the switch both making and breaking the circuitfto the lamp bulb.

To the attainment of: he foregoing and other objects which willv present themselves, the improvement also resides in certain other 'novel features of construction, combination and operative association of parts, one satisfactory embodimentof which is disclosed by the drawings. 1 i In he drawings: 7 A Figure 1 is a substantially central vertical sectional view through the improvement.

Figure 2 is a: sectional view approximately on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. v

vFigure 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure2. I Figure 4 is aperspective viewof thenut member employed. 7 t v. I y w Figure 5 is a similarview of a porcelain supporting yoke.' p

The porcelai portion of my improved socket is formed of two sections in the usual manner. These sections 1+1, are connectedby bolts 2 and 3,1respectively. The bolt 3 has attached to what I will term its upper 1929. Serial No. 372,666.

end-the terminal tfor one of the coveredconlductorwires 5. This bolt 8 is, therefore,'in thenature ofa'n 'electric'c'onductor. The terminal for the second conductor wire is let in a pocket in the upper'porcelainsection'l and is indicated by the numeral 6.- The terminal has screwed thereon a bolt 7 whose headed end engages the offset end of a spring con tact plate .8. The contact plate passes through a suitable opening or depression in the confronting faces of theporcelain sec t1ons 1 and the said spring contact is dis-f posed oppositethe inwardly directed spring arm 9 on the upper endof ametal plate-1O,

the lower end of; the plate beingdirected inwardlyand received in a. depression in the minates in a'cup shaped end'that'forms a central contact 11 "The.outer face of th e lower porcelain member 1 has 1 riveted I or otherwisesecured thereon a fibre washer 12', the arm 9'providinglwith the spring arm 8' contactmakers. 1 i f The screw base. of the socket is indicated by the'numeral 13 and has its top portion secured to the porcelain by the bolts 2 and 3 and the central contact 11- passes through any opening in the said to'p of the screw base 13, The base 13 has securedupon itssides,-adjacentto its upper; and non-threaded end the straight ends of equidistantly spaced curved springs 14 and these springs contact with the inner face ofthe outer shell15 of'the improve- ;ment. The shell .15 may be constructed of "lower porcelain member 1- 'and merginginto a 'downwardlyprojecting portion thatflter glass,porcelain' or some suitablecomposition that is of non-electric" conductivity. The mouth ofjthebase l3"is received in themouth of the shell, and the shell adjacent to its lower end is provided with peripheral ribs 16 whereby a'shade may be attached thereto.

Theshell in the showingof the drawings is round'in cross section butmay, of course, be; of any desired shape or contour and the top of the shell is preferably inclined from its center to the sides thereof, the said top being centrally formed with an outwardly directed flange 17 that surrounds a round opening inthe said top. Received through. this opening there isthe threaded and hollow cylindrical shank 18 of a nut member 19. The nut member is also interiorly threaded whereby the socket may be attached to asuitable pipe support, and through the hollow nut the circuit wires 5 and pass. A, washer 21 is arranged between the nut and the flange 17,

and the hollow cylindrical extension 18 of the said nut is screwed throngh threaded opening in thetop of the yoke member best illustrated by figure 5 of the drawings;

springs 1 1 on the base 13 serveas cushioning aswell as spacing elements between the base and shell. V t V g i The switch which forces the spring contact 8 against the metal end 9 of thecentral contact 11 is in'the nature of a substantially rectangular block and is indicatedby the numeral 2 1. The block has its edges, ache-cent to its oppositecorners notchedyas at 25. A

shaft 26passes centrally through the switch 2 1 and is fixed thereto; The shaft is yournaled through openings in upstanding lugs on the ends of a plate 27 that is suitably supported inthe cutaway or hollow portions of the porcelain membersl and the shaft is formed with stop elements 28 that contact with the ears 29 for preventing the longitudinal movement of the said shaftthrough its bearings. One endof the shaft, is threaded, and the porcelain members 1, as well as the shell 15, have round alining openings. The

openings in the porcelain member 1' receive the threaded end of the shaft 26, therein. The numeral 30 'indicates a key member which, of course, is of insulating material and which is provided with a shank or stem that has an internal threaded bore, the depth of which corresponding approximately to'the length ofthe threads of the shaft 26. The key 30 is screwed on the shaft. The switch 2% can turn only in one direction. that is, to swing the contact spring 8 against the contact to complete the circuit from the conductor wires to the'contacts 11 and to the base 13 and thus illuminate a lamp bulb which is screwed the base, a further turning of the-switch in the same direction bringing the switch to'the position illustrated by Figure 3 of the drawings and causing the springcontact maker 8 to swing away from the contact maker '9.

The simplicity of my construction and the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be understood and appreciated when the foregoing description has been read inconnection with the accompanying drawings, so that further detailed description willnot be required, it being noted that I have provided'both a safe and novel construction of electric light sockets and one which may be highly ornamented to add to the attractiveness of the room in which it is located. Obviously I do not wish to be restricted to the precise details herein set forth and,therefore, hold myself entitled to make suchchanges therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

As disclosed byFig-u-re 1 of theidrawings the porcelain body of the improvement has its neckportion provided. with an annular recess n.-:wl 11ch-;1;s received ;a-; fibre washer .35.

This washer is contacted by the yoke member 22-.;S0.Z1S .to prevent the saidyoke from inflicting injury on the'porcelain body when .thepart 18 of the nut member isscrewed thereon. The head 19 of thenut member is provided with an opening for the reception of a screw or bolt'that has a kerfed end'36.

The bolt is designed to engage'vv 'ith'the electric conductors and hold the same inthesaid bolt. The spring arms :8 and 9 may, of course, be shortenedor lengthened to,@ai d in properly. positioningthe keyin the improve ment..

" 'Havingdescribed theinvention, I claim:

*1. An' electric light'soc ket including porcelain sections anda screw'base,a fibre wash) er between the lower section'and'the screw base,meansfcomprising bolts securing the screw'base to the porcelain sections and .connecting said sections, wireterminals in the upper porcelain section for electric conductors, "one of which being secured to one of the bolts, a spring contact .to which the sec ond electric conductor is connected, acentral contact entering the screw base'fhaving a por.- tion' received in the ,lower porcelain section and riveted thereto and having an upstanding end ,terminatingfin an inwardly directed arm that is disposed opposite the spring contact, a switchm'ember normally resting on the spring contact and turnable in one direction, a shaft forthe' switch memberQa shell of non-electric conductivityfor the.

socket, means secured on the shell for sup.- porting the porcelain sections therein, spring spacer means carried by the screw base'and lain section for electric conductors, one of which conductorsbeing securedto one of the bolts, a spring contactmaker secured to the second terminalgand to which terminal the second electric conductor is'connected, a contact in the base having an extension projecting into the lower porcelain sectionand ter flgl Y minating in an arm which is disposed oppo site the spring contact maker, a switch block normally resting on the spring contact maker and rotatable to force the said contact maker 7 into engagement with the arm, a shaft for the switch block, a handle of insulating material removably secured to one end of the shaft, a

shell of non-electric conductivity for the socket, a nut member having a hollow shank screwed through the top. of the shell and through which the conductor wires are dil rected, a yoke in the shell screwed on'the shank and having its arms secured to the lower porcelain section, and arched spacer springs secured to the screwbase and contacting with the shell. f V

In testimony whereof IaffiX my signature, 7 7

JOSEPI-IRL. WHATLEY. 

